Rim



Dec; 25 W23.

L. H. PERLMAN RIM Filed Nov. 1, 1919 3-Sheets-Sheet 1 i W 1 w m L. H. PERLMAN RIM Filed Nov. 1, 1919 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Mttomwg Dec. 25 R923.

L. H. PERLMAN RYIM Filed Nov. 1 1919 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Dee. 25, 1923.

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LOUIS H. PEBLIVIAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL MOTORS CORPORA- TION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

RIM.

Application filed November 1, 1919. Serial No. 334,918.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, Louis H. PERLMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rims; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in demountable rims, and more particularly to the cross-cut type of such rims.

The object in view is the provision of a rim structure designed to facilitate easy and quick application and removal to and from a tire casing.

With this and further objects in view as will in part hereinafter become apparent and in part be stated, the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts as will be subsequently specified and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,-

Figure 1 is a transverse axial section through a fragment of a wheel supplied with a demountable rim embodying the features of the present invention- Figure 2 is an inverted plan view of the rim detached.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 of the rim detached in the course of operation and substantially midway between the position of collapse and the position of extension.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 with the parts shown in full lines in the fully collapsed or coiled position and in dotted lines in the position of collapse as far as is possible while the operating handle is in engagement with the actuating lever.

Figures 5 and 6 are transverse sections taken, respectively, on the planes indicated by lines 5--5 and 6-6 of Figure 1, the rim structure only being shown.

Figure 7 is an edge view of the operating tool, a portion of the handle being broken away for the saving of space.

Figure 8 is a top plan view thereof.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 indicates a wheel body, parts thereof being broken away and the felly of which carries the usual felly band 2'having the supporting stop'flange 3 adapted to receive and sustain one edge of the demountable rim 4. The run 4 is in operation sustained at the other edge by the usual side wedges, not shown, which stresses the rim 4 laterally against the flange 3 and radially away from the wheel body tending to expand the rim 4. Rim 4 is transversely cut at the place indicated at 5, and the ends of the rim are connected by an operating lever 6. The lever 6 is pivoted at the extreme end of one end portion of the rim 4 and is pivoted to the other end portion at a distance from the extreme end sufficient to insure the requisite collapsing or coiling action when the rim ends are to be moved past each other for reducing the effective diameter of the rim. To this end, a pintle 7 is carried by an intermediate portion of the lever 6 and extends through an eye 8 formed on the extreme end of one end portion of rim 4. The pintle 7 consists preferably of a rod extending for the greater portion of the width and transversely of the lever 6, the lever 6 bein preferably in the form of a flat elongate plate of a width only slightly less than the width of the base of rim 4. The end portions of the rod comprising pintle 7 are turned inward, extended through the plate making up lever 6, and are riveted in engagement with said plate. Thus thepintle 7 is elongated and disposed to lie along the edge of the engaged end of rim 4, and the eye 8 is correspondingly elongated, being preferably formed by a strap of relatively thin sheet metal folded about and spaced from the respective end of rim 4 with the two sheets of the fold arranged one at each face of and fixed to the base of the rim 4. The manner of securing the sheet making up eye 8 may be varied considerably without deviation from the invention, but by preference I employ spot welding as indicated at 9, 9. The material of the base of the rim at the end engaged by eye 8 is preferably notched in, as at 10, to accommodate the pintle 7 and eye 8 practically flush with the lineof the cut 5. One end of lever 6 is provided with an eye 11 similar in construction and arrangement to the eye 8, the eye 11 surrounding a pintle 12 whose end portions are turned outward and riveted to the base of the rim 4 spaced from the extreme end of the respective end portion. Thus an intermediate portion of lever 6 is pivoted to one extreme end of rim 4 while the extreme end of lever 6 ispivoted to the other end portion of rim 4, so that when the lever 6 is swung upon its pivotal connections after the manner indicated in Figures 3 and 4, the end portions of the rim 4 are caused first to separate radially and then to move to a collapsed and lapping position, so that the rim structure is in fact partially coiled. Thus the rim is caused to have a diameter proportionally less than when the rim is extended, that is, ready for use. When collapsed or coiled, the rim is of sufiiciently 'small diameter for readily receiving a tire shoe or casing with inextensible or nonelastic marginal beads. The operation of applying a collapsed cross-cut rim to and V removing it from such a shoe or tire casing is of rim 4 near the cut 5 is stamped out at 13, 13, so that a shallow recess is formed in the inner face of the rim of an area approximately equal to that of the lever 6 into which recess portions of the lever and the connections thereof lie when the rim is in its extended condition, as seen in Figure 1.

To relieve the pintles 7 and 12 and the eyes Sand 11 from the expanding stress on rim 4 due to the action of the side wedges, I prefer to provide stops or drivers .14, 14,

outstanding from the felly band 2 and spaced apart a distance equal substantially to the length .of'the lever 6 with its eye 11,

so that in operation when the rim 4 is applied on. the wheel the eye 11 rests in contact with one of the drivers or stops 14, while the other driver or stop 14 engages the opposite extreme of lever 6.

. It is apparent, of course, that'difliculty will be experienced in any effort to provide a lever 6 of a length sufficient in itself 1 to enable manual operation of the lever in shifting the rim from its extended to its collapsed condition and'conversely. Therefore, the free end portion of lever 6, that is, that portion of lever 6 which extends at the opposite side of pintle 7 from that provided with-eye 11, is constructed to receivean operating tool which in fact is a mere lengthening of the lever. The tool receiving features of the free end portion of the lever 6 are susceptible of wide, variation, but consist preferably of the simplest practicalmeans of attachment foran extension tool, such, for example, as an under-cut slot or elongated notch 15, the under-cut being produced by a rabbet 16 extending about the margin of the notch 15 at the outer face of lever 6. An aperture 17 is preferably formed in the lever 6 in line with the notch 15 to provide a further means of engagement for the operating tool or extension handle. The operating tool consists of a handle 18 of any preferred length having an offset section 19 arranged for enabling the terminal, curved end portion 20 to lie in the median line of the rim while the handle 18 extends along and spaced from one edge of the rim. The curved end portion 20 is provided with a pin 21.which.

forms simply anroutstanding' boss and is also provided with a button 22, the latter being connected preferably in the same manner as the pin 21 to the end portion 20 and in line therewith. The operatin tool is applied after the manner indicated in Figure 3 by sliding the button into the notch 15' until the shank of the button strikes the inner end of the notch, and then swinging the lever until the stud or pin 21 extends into the aperture 17. The lever'6 is then ready to be operated-by the extension handle. The handle having thus been applied and the parts'being in the position indicated in, Figure 2, the handle 18 isswung to the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 4. During this movement the lever 6 causes the ends of the rim 4 to separate and move through certain areas and then down to the position indicated in dotted linesin Figure 4. The lever 18 may then be withdrawn and the rim ends will move to the position indicated in full lines in Figure 4. This last movement is. due to the spring action of the rim as a Whole, and is efiected of itself without the-'aidof the operator. The rim is then in. position to have a shoeremoved from it orto have a shoe applied thereon. After application of the shoe, the rim is restored to its extended condition by a converse. movement to that just described. In some instances it may be" desirable to leave the tool 20- applied to the lever 6 duringthe removaland application of. a shoe in which event the rim ends will remain in that relation to each other indicated by the dotted lines in,

Figure 4.

I claim 1. In a rim structure for use upon a...

vehicle wheel, the combination of acrosscut demountable rim, an operating'lever for the end portions of the rim, a pintle fixed to the lever and extendingalong the cut edge of one end of the rim, anfeye fixedto the rim and surrounding said pintle, a pintle fixed to apart of the other end portion of the rim and extending along the edge i v of the end of the lever, and an eye fixed to the lever and surrounding the last-named pintle, the last named eye and the opposite end of the lever being adapted to cooperate with driving lugs upon the wheel.

2. In a rim structure for use upon a vehicle wheel, the combination of a crosscut demountable rim, and a lever hinged intermediate its ends to one terminus of the rim and hinged to an intermediate portion of the rim at one terminus of the lever, the free end portion of the lever having an undercut notch and an eye for receiving the engaging parts of an extension handle and being adapted to cooperate with a driving lug upon the wheel.

3. In a rim structure, the combination of a cross-cut demountable rim, a lever for manipulating said rim, the lever being of a thickness equal substantially to the thickness of the rim and adapted, when inactive, to lie along and substantially in contact with the inner face of the base of the rim, 2. pintle extending along the line of the cut edge of the rim and of a thickness equal only approximately to the thickness of such cut edge, the said pintle being anchored to the lever at an intermediate point in the length thereof, a strap of relatively thin material extending about said pintle and being fixed to the rim for effecting a hinged connection of the pintle to the rim along the line of the cut edge thereof, a pintle extending along the line of the edge of one end of the lever and of a thickness equal only approximately to the thickness of the lever, said pintle being anchored to that end portion of the rim opposite the end portion engaged by the first-mentioned pintle and spaced therefrom, and a strap of relatively thin material extending about the second-mentioned pintle and fixed to the lever for hinging the end portion of the lever to the rim.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS H. PERLMAN. Witnesses:

E. M. FRUHLING, EDGAR M. KrromN. 

